Romney in 2012: Getting endorsed by Trump is just like getting endorsed by....Christie

On Feb. 3, 2012, an hour before he and his wife, Ann, stood on stage uncomfortably at Trump Tower while the eponymous owner endorsed him, Mitt Romney gave me an interview for my television program at a nearby hotel.

During the interview, I asked Romney why he would take an endorsement from Trump, who had been espousing birtherism and had criticized the former Massachusetts governor. The transcript is below, but my favorite part, in light of last week's Chris Christie genuflection to Teflon Don, is this part:

Mitt Romney: I'm happy to get endorsed by people across this country. I've had endorsements from Chris Christie, Governor Bob McDonnell...from Bay Buchanan.

Jon Ralston: You're comparing those people to Donald Trump? Governor Christie's going to be insulted when he sees this!

If he was offended, Christie surely is not anymore.

The video and full transcript:

Jon Ralston: I can't imagine why in the world you would take an endorsement from Donald Trump…a guy who ran for president briefly on one platform...which is basically that the president was born somewhere else. He's a guy that's said very nasty things about you. 'He doesn't have a stellar record as governor…' he said. He essentially said you ran small businesses but you didn't really create jobs. Why would you take an endorsement from this guy?

 

Mitt Romney: I'm happy to get endorsed by people across this country. I've had endorsements from Chris Christie, Governor Bob McDonnell...from Bay Buchanan.

 

Jon Ralston: You're comparing those people to Donald Trump? Governor Christie's going to be insulted when he sees this! He's an avid watcher of Face to Face, I must tell you!

 

Mitt Romney: I'm  very happy to get endorsements of the people of Nevada, people across this country. One place where Donald Trump and I agree...and that is China has been allowed to rush out over American industry for far too long. I think that's one of the reasons he decided to endorse my campaign. I want the endorsement of all the American people. I won't agree with all the American people that endorse me or support me, we'll have some differences and the way we say things will be different. But I'm after the endorsement of the largest number of people I can get… hopefully at least 50 point 1 percent.

 

Jon Ralston: You're not offended by that stuff Donald Trump said not only about you, but about the president of the united states? You're even a guy who doesn't make it personal...I've heard you say Barack Obama's a nice guy, but he's led the country down this wrong path. That's very toxic, isn.t it… what Donald Trump tried to do to the president?

 

Mitt Romney: The way Donald Trump will address an issue and the way I address an issue will often times be very different, but that doesn't mean I'm going to reject the endorsement of people of significance in this country who share values or beliefs on a whole host of issues. If we can agree 80% of the time, we're on the same team and Donald Trump is one of those who believes China has been allowed to take American jobs for too long. I agree.

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